The young bird had a huge smile on her face as she held the newly sewed robe up, to study it.
She wasn't alone. Renn, rit, and Reatti were with her. Telling her about the clothes they had prepared for her. How they had picked clothes that she could easily put on and take off, ones that wouldn't hurt or break her large feathers.
The three won were being gentle with the young girl, whose smile was still inflad and black and blue. It had only been a few days since her beating, but its healing seed to be slow.
Fly although had many non-human characteristics... was as fragile as the human that hid beneath her feathers. She was not just young, but small and weak. ek.
Her bruises made everyone, even I, more protective of her.
"Try it on!" Reatti happily went to help her undress from her thick jackets and cloaks... which made the young bird quickly oblige. I turned away, as to stare at the nearby door and wall.
I knew the girl had enough feathers covering her body, which ant she couldn't be truly naked even if she wanted to... but I still tried to respect her as she went to putting on her new clothes.
As she put the robe on, Lawrence walked in. He glanced at them in a way that told it was safe to look too. Sure enough she was dressed again... although now instead of the layers of mismatched patterns and leather, she now wore sothing of a large sundress robe. It looked baggy on her and uncomfortable... but she had a huge smile on her face, and her feathers were puffed up a little in excitent.
She was enjoying this mont, greatly.
"That's a wonderful smile, considering it's only been a couple days," Lawrence said gently as he walked over to . He sat down to my left as he studied Fly and the rest.
"It is going well, yes. She showed up before the sun fell below the horizon this ti too, which ans she can't wait to get here," I said softly. We were probably close enough that Fly and the others could hear us, but we were speaking lowly enough that as long as the girls continued to talk loudly and laugh while doing so, we'd be fine.
"Then she should be joining soon. Good. Very good," Lawrence nodded, pleased.
"Possibly... right now she's just happy because she's realized that we'll not eat her. We'll see if that calm friendship can beco the relationship of family," I said.
"A daunting task, when one only knows danger in their life. To beco such friends only because she doesn't fear being eaten... It's been a long ti since I've t soone like that," he whispered. "Has she ntioned what her master is yet?" he then asked after a mont.
"No. All I've heard, or Renn or the rest have been able to deduce, is that the master is big. Massive. And always hungry. I'm actually more concerned right now with those she calls elders. The older ones," I said.
"Yes... Not only are they the types to brutally abuse such a lovely little girl, they're also willing to capture and feed their own kind to this master of theirs. Not ones we would welco openly, for sure," Lawrence said.
"A hard decision, when so of our older mbers lived such lifestyles too," I said gently, as to remind him.
Lawrence shifted a shoulder, and I knew it was not because he had forgotten... but simply because it hurt to be reminded.
"They had the opportunity to prove themselves. Sothing tells these ones will not get such a luxury, nor will accept it when given," Lawrence finally said.
"We shall see," I said.
"Well, you will. I doubt any of us will," Lawrence said with a sigh.
I nodded as we watched Fly fidget as rit and Renn helped put pants on her. Thanks to her large talons for feet, putting pants on normally was not possible. At least not without great effort, and inconvenience... so instead they had made pants that could be pulled on and off thanks to utilizing buttons. It was a pain, since they had to fasten dozens of buttons running up and down the sides of her legs and waist, but it let her wear pants normally.
Before they got both legs buttoned up, Fly began to shed tears. She didn't make a noise, but her crying made the three won go silent too.
They all stood around Fly as she stared down at her pants, which were now firmly fastened and buttoned. Thanks to her feathers on her legs and thighs, her pants looked a little puffy... but odds were they were the first pair of pants she's ever worn.
Renn patted Fly on the back, and rit and Reatti reached out to do the sa. Though Reatti gently laid her hand on Fly's shoulder, and rit stretched upward as far as she could as to rub Fly's head.
"What a sight," Lawrence whispered as we took it in.
It was. Especially Renn's expression. How co she looked more emotionally bothered than Fly and the rest?
"Renn thinks we'll have to go et the others before they'll entertain coming here and talking to us. Renn doesn't think Fly is telling them she's coming here," I said softly.
"Out of fear or greed?" Lawrence asked.
I nodded, glad he had the sa thoughts as . Renn simply believed it was because she didn't want anyone to get angry at her, but I knew better. Lawrence knew better.
Those like her would not tell anyone else about the wonderful thing they found, as to keep it from themselves.
As to keep it from being stolen from them.
Fly was young enough, and weak enough, it'd be very likely and understandable for her to worry that this place... here... Us... could be stolen from her. Either by her fellows coming in and killing us, or simply taking her place.
"Either way I'm unsure if I should allow it. There's definitely more than one predator down there, based off the things Fly says. I'm not sure if I'm willing to risk Renn in such a way," I said.
"Indeed... should rit go with you instead? She seems to be getting along with her too," Lawrence suggested with a wave at rit. She was laughing and holding Fly's hands as Renn and Reatti adjusted Fly's robe around her arms.
"I'd rather go alone... but I don't think that'd work. Fly is still weary around . She's only that happy with Renn and the rest," I said.
"That's not a surprise, Vim. You're a man," Lawrence tried to reason it away.
"A man who killed her best friend. Her family."
Lawrence glanced at , and I ignored his sad look as I studied the young bird. She was so happy to be wearing... sowhat normal clothes. She was now walking around, enjoying the feeling of the robes and pants.
"Most children prefer won, Vim. It's not just what you did," Lawrence then said.
"Most children do," I agreed, letting him try to console .
It didn't work, but I didn't mind letting him think it did.
"Has she gotten any more injuries? Her face is still swollen," Lawrence asked as Fly went to the table where dozens of other clothes laid. Other sets, in case the one she was wearing hadn't worked or fit.
"Not that I'm aware. She got that one beating a few days ago and nothing new since. As you figured earlier, I don't think she's telling them about us. She's not telling them about her coming here. There's no reason for them to beat her yet," I said.
Lawrence was about to say sothing, but rit suddenly walked over. Renn and Reatti were holding up more clothes for Fly, to pick the next set to try on.
"Oh mighty rit, tell your wisdom," Lawrence said as rit got close enough.
"Shush you. Go read a ledger," rit grumbled and scowled at him, not willing to play along with his teasing.
Lawrence smirked and nodded, unbothered.
rit then turned to and nodded. "She's willing to take Renn down to the sewers, where they live. But just her. She thinks if more than Renn goes, they'll think we're trying to invade or conquer them," rit said.
I frowned and realized rit had been listening into our conversation this whole ti.
Hopefully Fly hadn't been.
"I'll not let her go alone. If at all," I said simply.
"I agree, and I've explained that to her. But she's young Vim. She's probably only fourteen or fifteen years old, based off what I can surmise. She arrived with her parents on a boat during a massive hail storm that almost sunk a boat, and was taken into the sewers then they disappeared shortly after," rit said.
"Ah... the hail storm that took out most of the windows and ports. Yes. That was ten or so years ago," Lawrence nodded, seemingly making perfect sense of what rit said.
rit nodded. "Plus she fears those she calls the older ones. The ones who feed their master. To her they are the law. The rulers. The kings," rit said.
"Very animalistic," Lawrence said.
"Too animalistic. She's... very..." rit stopped talking and glanced behind her, at Fly. She was now trying on another robe. She had undressed. I glanced away as her body of feathers ca into view.
Didn't it itch to have so many feathers all over?
"You can't fault her for it. She's not had the luxury of living with humans. Humans to her are the enemy. Those who only bring pain or suffering. She's simply living her life by the rules she understands, nothing more. Don't judge her too harshly. She deserves so pity," I said.
"You need not tell that Vim, I just..." rit said gently, and then went quiet as she stared at the young girl.
Young indeed. Fifteen or so? She looked it. Barely. Her feathers that covered most of her body made her seem a little bigger and older than she was. Plus her legs and feet were more bird-like than not. Talons and a thin ankle and leg. It made her seem a little taller than she would be, had her feet been more human in form.
Lawrence sighed. "She'll need to go elsewhere, regrettably. Although she could live here, inside the houses, for a ti... she'll eventually need to go sowhere more suitable," Lawrence said.
rit nodded. "The bell church would work for her, being a child and a girl, but her fellows won't be able to go there. So were n, after all," rit said.
"I'd send those to Tor's village," I said.
"Tor's?" Lawrence sounded as if he didn't agree.
I nodded as I watched Renn go to unbutton and undress her own shirt... as to put one of the other ones on, as to join Fly in trying on clothes.
Sighing as Lawrence looked away, I watched as Renn took off her over shirt. She wore an undershirt, which was a good thing... but...
"Oh...?" rit grinned as she watched as Renn put another robe on. One ant for a traveling nun. It was thick and loose fit on her.
"You're reading too into it," I said firmly.
"A bold statent, when you have no idea what I'm reading," rit said as she glanced at .
Sadly I knew full well.
"What are we reading?" Lawrence looked back, and frowned. Nothing seed out of place now.
"Oh... just Renn's choice of undergarnts," rit said with a smirk.
Lawrence frowned. "What? I looked away. Was she not wearing anything?" he asked, confused.
"In fact the opposite! And it's much better. She was wearing sothing very... interesting..." rit giggled as Reatti looked over towards us, and without saying anything pointed at Renn with a thumb and nodded to us with a weird smile. Telling rit, and us n, that she had seen it and noticed it too.
I groaned as I lowered my head and rubbed my eyes. Suddenly I was tired.
"What? What happened? Why'd I miss it while trying to be a gentleman?" Lawrence complained.
"Sorry Vim. If only I had noticed it, I'd might be willing to keep it a secret but Reatti saw it too," rit said.
"You'd sound convincing if you weren't smirking so brazenly," I complained.
She nodded as her smirk grew stronger. Then she turned to Lawrence and gestured at Renn and the rest. "Renn was wearing one of Vim's shirts. Underneath her own. Using it as an undergarnt," rit explained.
I kept rubbing my eyes, unwilling to see Lawrence's shocked expression as he hurriedly glanced at .
"You're kidding!" Lawrence said, a little loudly.
"No... she's not..." I whined.
"Really..." Lawrence whispered in awe, and I knew he was now studying Renn more intently. More seriously.
She was now worth rembering. In his own perspective, at least.
rit giggled, very happy all of a sudden. More than she had been, at least.
"She's so odd. Why wear your shirt? It doesn't sll like you, so..." rit crossed her arms as she tried to make sense of it.
"Just let it be..." I begged for rcy.
"Did... did I not notice you two claiming one another? I had thought she'd been acting weird around him, but I thought that was just typical Vim stuff. Is she actually his rit? Really?" Lawrence asked, sounding doubtful.
"She's trying to be, I think. I don't think he's accepted it yet," rit answered honestly.
"Ah... interesting. Poor girl," Lawrence sighed and nodded.
Oh...?
I glanced at my friend between my fingers, and noticed the way he closed his eyes and shifted. He looked genuinely upset. Bothered. Saddened.
"Don't discount her yet, Lawrence. He won't admit it but she's making good headway into his heart," rit teased .
"I'd believe you, rit, if I didn't know that Vim's heart hasn't beat in over a thousand years," Lawrence said.
"It pulses," I argued.
"Does it?" rit asked.
Maybe.
Sotis.
Occasionally.
"Hm... she's waving you over, rit," Lawrence gestured to let rit know that Renn was calling her over.
"So she is. I'm going to go tease her about it. I bet she'll blush and go deep red in the face! Look forward to it Vim, consider it a present from to you," rit said as she stepped away.
"Yea... sure..." I did my best to not smile and nod, since I didn't want her to know I actually was looking forward to it.
I liked the way Renn got so vivid in her emotions. I liked how readily they appeared, and how deeply they showed themselves.
Before she stepped away too far, rit then paused and looked at . rit's smile died, and suddenly Lawrence sat up a little straighter... obviously worried.
It wasn't often the rit of old showed herself so blatantly.
I raised an eyebrow as rit scowled at , in a way that she hadn't done in years.
"Kill their master, Vim. I'm in no mood to eat soone who eats others. Don't make do it," she said with a cold tone.
I nodded; glad to be off the previous subject... but also in complete agreent.
Fly's master needed to die.
For not just Fly and her people...
But to protect my own.
After all, one day... it'll run out of food... and will then erge from the sewers in search of more.
And I'd not allow that.
Never.
rit went back to the girls, and said sothing as she approached. I hadn't heard her, thanks to my thoughts... but I was able to see the results.
Reatti burst out into a laugh, startling Fly... and Renn went deep red in the face.
Renn hurriedly glanced at , and her eyes went wide, and her ears fluttered as if she had a horrible itch.
"You're kidding ..." Lawrence whispered, watching what was happening.
"Sadly, no. She isn't," I groaned as Renn swiftly looked away, and lifted another set of robes. To try and change the topic, and distract everyone.
rit and the rest seemingly were kind enough to let her change the topic... but before Renn could get her flushing face under control, Fly asked a question that made everyone laugh.
"You wear his underwear...?" Fly asked, worriedly. She obviously found it horribly strange.
Renn hid her face with the robes, as even Lawrence chuckled at Fly's statent.
Great.
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